CHAPTER XXI 



Decide on a shooting trip to Somaliland — Popular belief aboat its inixabi- 

 tants — Erroneous ideas — Diminishing game — Collecting information — 

 PreparationB for the Expedition — Initial difficulties finally overcome 

 — Calling for volunteers — Gungdya and Sabba come forward — A 

 Htudy in contrasts — Stores and equipment — My battery — Embark for 

 Aden — ^The voyage — Its effect on the two Bhils — Explaining the com- 

 pass — Arrive at Aden — ^Take passage to Berbera — Black beetles and 

 noisy natives — OoUecting a " Kafila " — Purohase baggage camda — 

 Ign gkg mg an escort — Supplies and provisitHW — A desolate land — 

 Drilling the escort — Abdi, the headman — His multifarious duties — 

 The construction of zarebas — A camp in Somaliland deucribed — 

 Engage two shikaris — ^ELhaliffa and Nur — ProjecAa and plans — Un- 

 friendly natives likely to be enooontered — Confidenee in Abdi — 

 Troubles with camel men — Marching across m waterieas jimin — 

 Somalifl armed to the teeth — Wild appeannoe of these men — Deoonted 

 murderers — Weapon* osed in warfare — Somali women — Their dress 

 and appearance — ^Not held in much account — Often abandoned on 

 the march. 



the year 1898 I decided on making a private hunt ii^ 

 I xpedition to Somaliland, a country which has always borne 

 the reputation of being the home of a bigoted, ferocious, 

 savage race whose hand is against every man. 



Somaliland was, at the time I purposed visiting it, more 



less a terra incognita to sportsmen, but it has since 



oeen opened out, with the result that the terrify i ' s 



of the dangers and diflTiculties of entering the » > f 



' »vcd to have been somewhat exaggerated. 



As with all fresh hunting grounds, the advent of the 



ortsman has had the usual effect, and the number of 



wild uniniuls formerly to be found there, has considerably 



diminished, though in the imexplorcil jwrtions of the Hand 



1(1 Ogadin game is still plentiful, es])ecially lions. 



Having collected all the information I could ol.i.uii u- 

 irding the country and completed preparations for my 

 \|>edition, I applied to the Bombay Government through 



M 161 



■ 



